But Lara’s expression remained perfectly calm.

"I’m offering Starlight Films two options, Mr. Brookes."

The room suddenly felt colder.

Lara folded her hands neatly atop the table, her voice measured and precise.

"Option one..." She paused briefly. "I buy out Starlight Films completely."

Lionel’s grip on the folder tightened instantly. Starlight Films was built on the sweat and blood of his father and mother. He also invested half of his life on the company.

"In exchange, I absorb all liabilities, debts, and operational control. Your company becomes mine."

The bluntness of her words struck harder than any negotiation tactic.

Lionel’s jaw tensed.

"And the second option?" he asked carefully.

A faint smile curved at the corner of Lara’s lips.

"The second option is partnership."

She leaned slightly forward, her gaze unwavering.

"I become the major shareholder. You still get the management right.

Lionel’s expression improved a bit. A smile appeared on his face.

"How much?"

"Sixty percent."

The words landed heavily between them.

Lionel’s face paled.

"With my funding, Starlight Films survives," Lara continued calmly. "You retain your position as founder and executive producer, your employees keep their jobs, and your company continues operating under the Starlight name."

Her eyes sharpened.

But I will control the direction of the company."

Lionel stared at her in stunned silence.

He had expected to meet an ambitious investor.

Maybe even a spoiled heiress pretending to be a businesswoman.

Unless she wasn’t acting alone.

Could she be backed by the Zuvels? Or perhaps the Norses?

When she first contacted him, Lionel had asked who the real investor was. Lara refused to reveal the name, saying only that the person wished to remain anonymous for now.

That answer alone had made him suspicious.

So Lionel Brookes had her investigated.

The reports described a simple girl from the province — an ordinary college graduate with no influential family name, no corporate background, and certainly no business empire behind her.

What he discovered only deepened his doubts.

Something about Larissa Reyes did not add up.

How had someone like her managed to gather enough money to invest in his company?

But then, he also learned that Larissa Reyes was working for Ares Zuvel.

Which meant there was a strong possibility that the Zuvels were backing her after all.

Lionel’s eyes drifted back to the proposal in his hands, but the words had already begun to blur together. Slowly, he lifted his gaze toward the woman seated across from him.

The Larissa Reyes seated in front of her was nothing like he imagined.

She sat with composed elegance, her posture relaxed yet commanding, as though she belonged in rooms where billion-dollar deals were made every day.

There was no nervousness in her expression, no eagerness to impress him, no sign that she felt out of place sitting across from Lionel Brookes himself.

And that unsettled him.

Because inexperienced people usually revealed themselves within minutes. They talked too much. Tried too hard. Made careless promises.

Larissa did none of those things.

Every word she spoke was measured. Every move deliberate.

It was the kind of confidence that could not be learned overnight.

Unless someone powerful had trained her.

Or worse... was standing behind her.

She had arrived prepared.

Every detail. Every number. Every possible outcome.

It was as if she had already anticipated this meeting long before he ever agreed to it.

"You’re asking for control of my company," Lionel said hoarsely.

"No," Lara corrected softly.

"I’m offering to save it."

The room fell silent once more.

Lionel could refute what she said.

The second option was like a saving grace offered to him on a silver platter.

Outside, the last rays of sunset disappeared beyond the horizon, plunging the café gardens into darkness.

Lionel lowered his eyes to the proposal in his hands.

Then, quietly—

"You remind me of someone."

Lara’s fingers stilled slightly.

Lionel looked at her carefully, almost cautiously.

"The man who built Starlight from nothing... had the same eyes as you." His voice dropped. "Eyes that looked too far ahead."

For the first time that evening, Lara’s composure wavered ever so slightly.

Because there was only one person who had ever said those exact words to her before.

Alaric.

...

The meeting ended exactly as Lara had expected.

Lionel accepted the second proposal.

By the time he made his decision, Lara had already prepared the contract in advance, as though she had known from the very beginning how the negotiation would end. There was no room left for hesitation.

And strangely enough, Lionel did not hesitate either. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

He signed his name in one smooth stroke.

Minutes later, hundreds of millions were transferred into his company’s account.

The notification on his phone felt almost unreal.

Just this morning, he had been standing at the edge of collapse, drowning in debts, investors pulling out one after another, competitors circling like vultures waiting for his company to die.

And now—

One woman had changed everything within a single afternoon.

Across the table, Lara calmly took another bite of her burnt Basque cheesecake, the rich caramelized surface contrasting with the delicate steam rising from her jasmine tea. The café’s warm lighting softened her features, making her appear elegant and unhurried, as though transferring hundreds of millions was no different from ordering dessert.

"The condition I mentioned earlier," she said casually, setting down her fork, "prepare a proposal to acquire the filming rights for Amelia Nades’ book series, Rise of an Empire."

Lionel’s expression shifted slightly.

Amelia Nades.

The bestselling author whose work had sparked bidding wars among major entertainment companies. Countless producers had already tried approaching her, only to leave empty-handed.

Yet Lara spoke about securing the rights as though the outcome had already been decided.

"The meeting with Amelia is tomorrow at two in the afternoon," Lara continued, lifting her teacup gracefully. "With your abilities, preparing by tomorrow shouldn’t be a problem... right?"

Lionel paused.

There it was again.

That subtle pressure hidden beneath her calm voice.

She was testing him. No—evaluating him.

As though deciding whether he was truly worthy of the investment she had just handed him.

Lionel straightened instinctively.

"Of course, Ma’am."

The words left his mouth firmly, but inside, his thoughts were in turmoil.

Who exactly was this woman?

She appeared out of nowhere at the exact moment his company was about to collapse. She solved his financial crisis effortlessly, anticipated every move before he made it, and now she was directing the future of his company as though she had already planned several steps ahead.

It felt almost unreal.

Like fate itself had sent her to him.

And for the first time in years, Lionel felt something he had nearly forgotten—

Hope.

But along with that hope came another realization.

If he wanted to stand beside someone like Larissa Reyes... then merely surviving would never be enough.

He had to prove himself worthy of the hand that had pulled him out of ruin.